Promise Me
by Queen Gwenyvere
Summary: A missing scene from "The End of the World" I just thought this should have been in the episode. I mean, what happened when Future Max teleported back? What if things did not go as planned?


Author's Note: All characters are property of the creators of "Roswell" and the WB network. The songs "Dance With You" and "I Shall Believe" are property of the artists and the record labels. Don't sue!   
  
Spoilers: The End of the World  
  
*"That not everything is gonna be the way  
You think it ought to be  
It seems like every time I try to make it right  
It all comes down on me"*  
  
As Max Evans sat on a park bench, his heart broken, his world shattered, and his intended mate and possibly the last woman he would ever think of in a passionate sense sitting at his side offering him a shoulder to cry on, his beloved had her wedding dance on the roof outside her bedroom. She was, of course, dancing with her one true love, Max Evans, only his future self. Her heart was breaking too. For the Max who stood before her she had betrayed the Max who now sat in the park, who had hired a mariachi band, who loved her more than life itself.  
  
*"I turn away from you..."*  
  
A small smile crept across Liz Parker's face as she danced with Max-Max whom she loved; Max who she was willing to die for; Max who was Max no matter what time period he came from. He spun her around and a small laugh escaped her lips. When she turned around, he was gone.  
  
*"Please say honestly   
You won't give up on me  
And I shall believe"*  
  
In desperation, she looked up at the night sky that had given her so much and saw a star shoot across the sky. Then she broke down and wept.  
  
*2014*  
  
Liz Evans lay on the floor of the granolith chamber as she whimpered, her knees drawn against her body. She wept as the memories flooded back into her. Max had changed the timeline, just not in the way they had anticipated. She bit her lip against the pain of her wounds and prayed for death to come quickly, trying to hold on until Max returned. At the very least, she tried to hold on to her last memories of him, as he was sucked back in time by the granolith, just before his peoples' enemy blast their way into the chamber and wounded her, shooting to kill, disappointed when they did not find the leader of their sworn enemy.  
  
She felt another presence enter the room and in vain tried to reach for her weapon, which lay discarded and half destroyed five feet from where she lay. Her body was going into shock and she found that it would not work. She was defenseless. Through the blur of pain and increasing numbness, she thought she heard someone call her name. The voice that spoke sounded familiar, although somewhat animalistic; it was a strangled cry.  
  
"Liz!" Max wept as he dropped to his knees, cradling her head in his lap. His tears washed the blood from her face. He noticed they were sliding slightly as the structure shook with the force of the continued blasts. He looked and found them in a pool of blood-Liz's blood.  
  
"Max?" Her eyes struggled to focus. She felt him wipe the blood from her face and cover it with kisses.  
  
"How?" he asked, dampening her face with his tears and drying it with his hair. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "I failed."  
  
"No," she croaked. She tried to smile but she was in too much pain. "You *did* change the timeline. Don't you remember? Things turned out differently."  
  
Max thought for a moment and discovered that he had two sets of memories, those from the original timeline, and the new ones he had gone through so much to create. His eyes left her face momentarily to look at the glowing granolith. It had not done what they had expected. The trip was for naught. "I, I don't understand," he said, fighting to keep his voice from breaking.  
  
"We make our own destiny," she whispered, her voice filled with love and memories of a simpler time long ago. Then she cried out in pain. Max held her to him, searching frantically for her wound. Peeling back her shirt, he found much of her skin burnt from the heat of the blast; her stomach was ripped open and she was slowly bleeding to death. Frantically, he tried to summon his healing powers, but he was weak from time travel and an eternity of endless fighting.  
  
"I'm sorry," he gasped, unable to control his weeping. He hated breaking down in front of her and he damned himself for not being stronger, for not being able to save her.  
  
His wife reached up, her soft palm cupping his cheek as her thumb weakly stroked away his tears, "Shhhh," she soothed. "It's too late for me." She gasped as another wave of pain washed over her. He rocked her gently until it passed. When it was over, she whispered, "I lied, you know."  
  
"When?" He wondered if she caught that his voice had cracked.  
  
"When I said I wouldn't die for you. I love you more than anything."  
  
"I know," he whispered, kissing her lightly. "I know why you did what you did and I forgive you."  
  
"I'm sorry I'm leaving you Max," she said through her pain and her own tears. "I don't want to." Her eyelids drooped. "But I'm so tired."  
  
Max pressed his lips to her temple. "I know," he told her gently. "I want you to stay with me. But if you're tired, you should sleep. Sleep, beloved. We'll be together soon."  
  
"No Max!" Liz cried, understanding the words he could not bring himself to say. "You can't give up! You have to keep fighting!" Her eyes were wild, pleading. "Promise me. Promise me!" Her voice was barely audible, as she had wasted what was left of ere strength. He leaned in closer to hear her. "Please Max."  
  
He kissed her softly, but deeply. "I promise."  
  
Her eyes closed and her breathing became increasingly shallow. The structure continued to shake with each blast. His enemies were waiting for him to return, for her to die, for him to come out and face them. Max laid down beside his wife and held her in his arms, singing softly in her ear. "Come to me now/And lay your hands over me/Even if it's a lie/Say it will be alright/And I shall believe."  
  
After a while, he heard her speak. "They would have been beautiful," Liz whispered.  
  
"Who, beloved?" he asked, as he nuzzled her neck and kissed her hair.  
  
"Our children," she replied. "I'm sorry I couldn't give them to you."  
  
"We ran out of time, love. If our enemy had not struck, I'm sure we would have had many children. They would have been beautiful like their mother." He smiled at the thought of their children.  
  
"Strong, like their father," she murmured. Her voice was slow and slurred and her breath was labored. "I have to go now."  
  
Once more, he gulped back tears, "I know."  
  
"You promised. Don't forget," she told him, trying to turn over and face him. Her yelped in pain when her body refused to allow her movement.  
  
"Shhhh," he soothed, gently climbing over her body so she could see him. He kissed her. "I won't forget. I promise."  
  
She smiled and her eyes fluttered closed. He felt her warm breath against his face one last time. They lay entwined for a long time, as he spoke to her. His voice was slow and soft and soothing. Then he stood, careful not to slip in the blood, and lifted her still, small, frail body in his arms. She was as light as a feather.  
  
"Once last dance, beloved," he murmured. As they danced, he knew what had to be done next.  
  
*"Sittin' on the beach  
The island king of love  
Deep in Fijian Seas  
Deep in some blissful dream  
Where the goddess finally sleeps  
In the lap of her lover  
Subdued in all her rage and I'm aglow with the taste   
Of the demons driven out and happily replaced   
With the presence of real love  
The only one who saves  
  
I wanna dance with you  
I see a world where people   
Live and die with grace  
The karmic ocean dried up   
And leave no trace  
I wanna dance with you  
I see a sky full of the stars that change our minds  
And lead us back to a world we would not face  
  
The stillness in your eyes  
Convinces me that I  
I don't know a thing  
And I been around the world and I've tasted all the wines  
A half a billion times came sickened to your shores  
You show me what this life is for  
  
I wanna dance with you  
I see a world where people   
Live and die with grace  
The karmic ocean dried up   
And leave no trace  
I wanna dance with you  
I see a sky full of the stars that change our minds  
And lead us back to a world we would not face   
In this altered state  
Full of so much pain and rage  
You know we got to find a way to let it go   
  
Sittin' on the beach  
The island king of love  
Deep in Fijian Seas  
Deep in the heart of it all w  
Where the goddess finally sleeps  
After eons of war and lifetimes  
She smilin' and free, nothin' left  
But a cracking voice and a song, oh lord   
  
I wanna dance with you  
I see a world where people   
Live and die with grace  
The karmic ocean dried up   
And leave no trace  
I wanna dance with you  
I see a sky full of the stars that change our minds  
And lead us back to a world we would not face  
  
We would not face  
We would not face  
We would not face  
We would not face  
We would not face"*  
  
*2000*  
  
Max felt Tess lay a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Do you wanna talk about it?" she asked quietly.  
  
"No."  
  
"Do you want me to leave?" Her tone was friendly.  
  
*Yes! * His heart cried. *Leave me in my misery. Liz has betrayed me. She slept with Kyle! How could she? * "No," she told her, turning to face her and show her to tears in his eyes and the anger in his soul. Although truly, he only told her to stay out of politeness. After all, we they not "destined" to be together?  
  
Max suddenly felt the wind pick up and he watched as it swirled the autumn leaves. He blinked a few times when he thought he saw Liz materialize in the swirling leaves.  
  
"Max!" she called to him.  
  
He blinked again, his eyes wide. "Liz?" He was a mix of incredulity and pain.  
  
"Max?" Tess asked, looking in the direction he was. All she saw was leaves.  
  
Max stood and walked toward the Liz-vision. Taking a better look at her, he saw she was older, her hair was shorter, and she was covered in blood. "You're hurt!" he cried, reaching out to touch her. He was astonished when his hand passed right through her. "Who are you?"  
  
She smiled lovingly. "I am your wife, Maxwell Evans." She had to keep from laughing at the look of shock on his face. She bit the chuckles back and continued. "I am from fourteen years in the future. Earth is at war with your people's enemy. Isabel, Michael, Alex, and Maria have all been killed. You-your future self-traveled back in time to convince me-the seventeen year old Liz-to make you fall out of love with me, er, her." She smiled slightly.  
  
"I convinced you to sleep with Kyle?" Max asked, more than slightly bewildered.  
  
"I, her, *we*, did NOT sleep with Kyle. We just got him to play along so we could..." She stopped, pained by what she had to say next. "Sowecouldbetrayyou." She could still remember the pain she had felt when she had seen the aguish on his face as he had laid eyes upon her and Kyle in bed, together, *laughing*. "My Max thought that if your Liz could make you fall out of love with her, then the timeline would change. Maria, Michael, Isabel, Alex, me-we'd all be alive."  
  
Max turned and looked over his shoulder at Tess, who was watching him quizzically. He turned back to the Liz-vision. "Tess?" he asked quickly. "What happened to Tess?"  
  
The Liz-vision sighed. "In the original timeline, instead of going to the Gomez concert, Max and I made love. From then on we were inseparable. Tess grew jealous and left. Together, you four were a unit. Without her, divided, as three, you were weaker, more defenseless."  
  
Max struggled to take it all in and rationally assimilate what he was being told. "So, for the last few days, your Max has been here, with MY Liz?"  
  
Tess bristled silently behind him.  
  
The Liz-vision merely nodded, taking notice of the blonde teenage alien hybrid's reaction. Dead or alive, past, present, or future, Liz knew she would always take first place in Max's heart. That knowledge made her feel even the tiniest bit superior, even though she was no longer on the mortal coil.  
  
Max, meanwhile, had grown furious. "Why didn't he just come to me? Why couldn't he tell ME directly?"  
  
She sighed, "Quantum physics; I don't quite understand all of it, but if you and my Max were to meet, you would BOTH be destroyed."  
  
He considered the concept and was surprised when he found he believed her. "What I still fail to understand," he told her. "Is why you are here. Liz succeeded; she betrayed me, my future self has returned to your time-it worked."  
  
"But that's the thing," the ghost of his beloved told him. "It *didn't* work. My Max returned to find me bleeding to death on the floor of the granolith chamber." Sadness swept over her ghostly features.  
  
"But," he still could not quite understand. "I *saw* Liz and Kyle in bed together. Your Max left this time. Why didn't it change?"  
  
She smiled and he found himself falling in love all over again. "Telling you would further disturb the timeline. My Max and I have two sets of memories."  
  
"The original, and what happens from this point on," Max surmised, talking almost to himself. "But you and I must still end up together, because he returned to you."  
  
The Liz-vision gave no reply, but that in and of itself gave him his answer.  
  
"Max?" He heard a voice from behind him as Tess approached him cautiously. "What's going on?" But she was ignored. Max kept talking to thin air.  
  
"If I go to Liz now and tell her I know the truth, will we make love?"  
  
She did not answer him.  
  
Tess gasped, "What?"  
  
Max continued, his voice thick with emotion. "If we make love, the timeline could return to what you knew originally, couldn't it? Liz and I will become inseparable, Tess will leave, we will marry, and everyone will die."  
  
Again, she did not answer him.  
  
Tess took hold of Max's arm, "Come one, I think I had better take you home."  
  
"No!" he yelled, wrenching his arm free of her grasp. His full attention remained with Liz Evans. "You died in my arms, didn't you?"  
  
She nodded, slowly, without spoken reply.  
  
Tears filled Max's eyes. The Liz-vision reached out to him. "Take my hand," she instructed, her tone gentle and loving.  
  
Max slowly extended a shaking hand toward the apparition of the future, deceased self of the love of his life. The moment they touched, a million images and sensations flashed through his mind at a rapid-fire pace. His and Liz's first time, sweet, slow, passionate, filled with love and the release of desire. Graduation, parties, a road trip from Hell with Michael and Maria. His wedding to Liz. Joy. Dancing until long after dawn. The invasion. The death of their parents. Alex and Maria dying in the first wave. Isabel drawing enemy fire. Michael's mangled corpse. Liz watching him as he teleported back through time. An attack. Liz being wounded. The pain. Her infinite joy at his return. Peace when she died. And finally, overwhelming, unconditional, never-ending love.  
  
Max would have passed out had Tess not been there to support him. He wept as he tried to assimilate all he had been shown.  
  
The ghost of Liz flickered. "I can't hold this form much longer," she told him. "I need to pass on. What I have shown you is from the original timeline."  
  
"Thank you," he gulped.  
  
"Trust yourself, my love. Promise me you will never stop fighting." She continued to flicker in and out, like a candle burning away to nothing.  
  
He nodded solemnly. "I promise." Then he smiled a little, the corners of his mouth twisting upwards ever so slightly. "You lied to me, beloved."  
  
She frowned.  
  
"You said you didn't want to die for me." His heart broke at the memory.  
  
She smiled wistfully, a single tear running down her transparent cheek. "Yeah, well, I did what I had to do." She flickered once more and disappeared.  
  
Max turned to face Tess. She blinked. "You want to tell me what just happened here?"  
  
"No." He took her by her shoulders, staring intently into her shocked face. "But I need you to do something for me. Will you?"  
  
Tess hesitated.  
  
"Please Tess," he pleaded. "Everyone's lives depend on it."  
  
The urgency in his voice and desperation in his eyes were all she needed to convince her. She nodded and before Tess knew it Max had her by the hand and they were racing out of the park.  
  
*Liz's Roof*  
  
"How long?" Max whispered.  
  
Tess sighed, "I cam put her to sleep quickly, that's not the problem. It's keeping her asleep that can be tricky." She paused, "Five, maybe seven minutes?"  
  
He sighed, "I may need longer than five minutes."  
  
"It's up to her to stay asleep," Tess told him. "Max," she touched his arm lightly. "What is going on?"  
  
He turned to her, "I'll tell you; someday. I promise." He tried to smile reassuringly.  
  
She nodded, "Okay." She closed her eyes and focused on the weeping form that lay curled up in the fetal position on the rooftop. After several moments she nodded to Max. "Go on," she whispered.  
  
Max carefully stepped out from his hiding place where he and Tess had concealed themselves after sneaking on to Liz's roof. They had found her laying on her back and staring up at the night sky, weeping, and whispering the words, "I'm sorry," over and over, in a litany. As Max looked on, his soul dying at the sight of her pain, her had curled up in a ball, as though she was trying to keep warm. He crouched at her side and found that she was in fact asleep, the tears still wet on her face. He gently brushed them away, smoothing her matted hair.  
  
"I understand," he whispered, lying next to her and gathering her in his arms. "I know why you did it. I know why you lied." He sighed, inhaling her soft scent. "I know why you wanted me to think you and Kyle had slept together. I know you didn't betray me." He kissed the base of her neck. "I know that you could never betray me."  
  
She stirred slightly and he momentarily panicked. She turned over in her sleep and snuggled deeper into his embrace, wrapping her long arms around his neck. He thought his heart would break with the joy of having her in his arms. Especially since he knew it would not be like this again for a long time.  
  
"Max," Tess hissed. "I can't hold it much longer."  
  
"It's okay," he murmured. "I can take it from here. Thank you."  
  
She smiled for his sake, "Are you sure?"  
  
He nodded in gratitude. "Go home." He watched her swing one leg over the concrete, then another, and she was out of sight, descending the ladder.  
  
Liz whimpered slightly in her sleep and he whispered in her ear, "Shhhh, sleep now, beloved." He slipped one arm under her knees and swept her up in his arms, once thin, now large and muscular. He rose to his feet and began moving them in small, circular patterns on the rooftop. "One last dance," he asked, murmuring in her ear.  
  
*"Sittin' on the beach  
The island king of love  
Deep in Fijian Seas  
Deep in some blissful dream  
Where the goddess finally sleeps  
In the lap of her lover  
Subdued in all her rage  
And I'm aglow with the taste of the demons driven out  
And happily replaced with the presence of real love  
The only one who saves"*  
  
"Love you," she murmured drowsily, still asleep.  
  
"I'm going to go away from you for a while. I need to keep you safe. And until all this is over, safe is away from me. Unless we do something to change the future, you're going to die because of me. And I don't think I'd be able to stand that. He kissed the tip of her nose. "You're my whole world. It may be the destiny of my planet that I am with Tess. But even if I am with her, my heart will be with you. Always with you."  
  
Gently, he slipped through her window and placed her on the bed. He removed her boots and socks. With nothing but love and concern in his heart he unzipped her pants and slowly pulled them off her body. Then he tucked her in and placed a long, deep kiss on her lips.  
  
"Love you," he whispered. "Stay with me. I need you with me. Even if we can't be together." He turned to leave. "We be together someday, beloved, I swear it." Max took one last fleeting look at his sleeping love before climbing out the window. His shoes crunched lightly on the gravel as he scampered across the roof. The night breeze softly billowed through the open window. It carried with it the sounds of the night; crickets and bats and the occasional car. It also carried the sounds of Max Evans scuffling down the ladder before he lost his nerve.  
  
Inside her room, Liz Parker waited until she heard him hit the street. Then she opened her eyes and whispered into the darkness, "Promise me."  
  
*"Come to me now  
And lay your hands over me  
Even if it's a lie  
Say it will be alright  
And I shall believe  
  
I'm broken in two  
And I know you're on to me  
That I only come home  
When I'm so all alone  
But I do believe  
  
That not everything is gonna be the way  
You think it ought to be  
It seems like every time I try to make it right  
It all comes down on me  
Please say honestly you won't give up on me  
And I shall believe  
And I shall believe  
  
Open the door  
And show me your face tonight  
I know it's true  
No one heals me like you  
And you hold the key  
  
Never again  
would I turn away from you  
I'm so heavy tonight  
But your love is alright  
And I do believe  
  
That not everything is gonna be the way  
You think it ought to be  
It seems like every time I try to make it right  
It all comes down on me  
Please say honestly  
You won't give up on me  
And I shall believe  
I shall believe  
And I shall believe"*  



End file.
